What To Do Next If TikTok Gets Banned?

The ultimate question for the well-known possible TikTok ban

Is no secret that the U.S. is investigating TikTok’s data usage and considering banning the platform in the territory. Many claims and conspiracies have made their way up to politicians and very important individuals who could make TikTok prohibited.

Amongst the TikTok drama, countless creators have wondered what could happen if the app gets banned, what could happen to their content and where could their followers possibly go.

In this post, we answer the most common questions regarding the TikTok risk drama, to hopefully give you some peace of mind as well as useful solutions.

Can TikTok Truly Get Banned?

Since TikTok’s boom during the pandemic and some time before that, people have been speculating about a possible ban from the U.S. The Biden administration has recently stated that they’ll ban the app if its owner, Beijing-based tech firm ByteDance, does not sell its stake in the company.

Many politicians are worried about the power of TikTok, and how the app might be used to collect personal data without authorization or even letting its users know.

With a threat at TikTok, a lot of things can happen, and everyone is wondering what to do next if the app gets banned. According to TikTok’s official data, approximately 150 million Americans are on the app, which equals almost half the country’s population.

TikTok’s audience is huge, and the United States is the country that uses the app the most, so it’s no wonder why creators and advertisers might be concerned about the future.

If TikTok ends, people are likely going to switch to other platforms like Instagram or YouTube, and since those platforms have been introducing features similar to the ones you can find on TikTok, the change shouldn't be as harsh as we imagine.

It is expected that people will follow their favorite creators wherever they go, but what might change and be considered a downside could be the algorithm and its difficulty in bringing people to your profile, something that TikTok made a bit easier.

Will Users Switch To Instagram?

The most common answer to the TikTok possible ban is that users will just go back to Instagram, and this is true. Since Instagram has been copying some of TikTok's features, like short-form videos known as Reels, it would be natural for users to find a similar platform.

Instagram is still relevant today, and with the Explore page and posts that end up on your feed, there are chances that people discover your content like they would on TikTok.

Unlike in old times, now you don’t need to post images if you don’t want to, thus having a Reels-only profile is highly acceptable and followed by users. What made TikTok so appealing and easy to use was that you could create videos anywhere, and anytime, without having to worry about how it would look on your feed.

Instagram is the top TikTok alternative, according to researchers, and will be expected to grow its audience and reach this year and the upcoming ones.

What About YouTube?

YouTube is another alternative in case TikTok becomes at risk. As with Instagram, YouTube introduced a short-form video section that has been received positively around the world.

It works very similarly to TikTok, with the same like, comment, and share buttons, and since its launch, creators have shared a lot of unique content. Since both platforms, Instagram and YouTube, have adapted TikTok’s style, users are expected to go there if the app gets banned.

Long gone are the days when the only videos available on YouTube were super long, thus now you can see a brief clip of that long video in the Shorts section. By giving users this option, YouTube opened itself to a new audience, like Gen Z, that lives for short, entertaining, and captivating content.

Save all your content on your phone/computer

Spend time saving all your videos in case the app gets banned, thus we don’t know if we’ll be able to access them later.

Remember that Instagram is not very fond of TikTok’s content, therefore you might need to edit your videos again to add Instagram’s text. It is best to save your videos without any text and when you’re done posting on TikTok, you go over to Instagram to post an edited version.

This is something you can start doing today, both from getting ahead of TikTok’s possible ban and for improving your online presence.

Encourage people to follow you on other platforms

Let people know they can find more original content on your Instagram, YouTube, or the platform you choose. This way, if TikTok ends, your audience will have already followed you on a TikTok alternative platform.

It is also good to share different types of content on your platforms to encourage users to follow them in multiple apps to never miss your content.

Final Words

In this post, we talked about a critical situation in the social media world, the possibility of TikTik getting banned from the U.S. We included the reason behind the claims, as well as alternative platforms people might switch to and useful tips to keep your content forever.

A lot has been said about TikTok and a lot will continue to be said, the key in these uncertain moments is to remain calm, keep posting content and slowly (but surely) start saving your videos just in case anything happens.